Scottish

Middle English Scottissh ; from Late Old English Scottisc, for earlier Scyttisc

noun

the variety of English spoken by the people of Scotland

Scottish Idioms

the Scottish

the Scottish people

Scottish

adjective

Of or relating to Scotland or its people, language, or culture.

noun

Scots English.

(used with a pl. verb) The people of Scotland.

Origin of Scottish

Middle English scottisc; see Scots. Usage Note: Scottish is the full, original form of the adjective. Scots is an old Scottish variant. Scotch is an English contraction of Scottish that came into use in Scotland as well for a time (as in Burns's “O thou, my Muse! guid auld Scotch drink!”) but subsequently came to be viewed there as insulting. For this reason, forms involving Scotch are best avoided in reference to people; designations formed with Scots are most common (Scot, Scotsman, or Scotswoman), but those involving the full form Scottish are sometimes found in more formal contexts. Scotch-Irish is a commonly used term for the descendants of Scots who migrated to North America, but lately Scots-Irish has begun to gain currency among those who know that Scotch is considered offensive in Scotland. There is, however, no sure rule, especially when referring to things rather than people, since the history of variation in the use of these words has left many expressions in which the choice is fixed, such as Scotch broth, Scotch whisky, Scottish rite, and Scots Guards.

Words near Scottish in the dictionary

Follow YourDictionary

Quote

Mother chants her litany of boredom and frustration But we know all her suicides are fake Daddy only stares into the distance There's only so much more that he can take Many miles away something crawls from the slime At the bottom of a dark Scottish lake